Technology has become an integral part of daily life. At home and at work people use technology for everything from completing mundane repetitive tasks to entertaining themselves. Technology allows for mobility with personal and professional endeavors. Over seven billion people use the internet for work and for fun, and that number continues to increase as internet access expands across the world.
Today’s students are increasingly tech savvy. They have grown up in a world where technology plays a vital role in every facet of their lives. Everything is digitally connected. Rather than fight against technology, schools should encourage its use and embrace the benefits that technology can bring to a student’s educational experience.
Diverse Classrooms Require Diverse Teaching Methods
To cater to a diverse student population, teachers and schools are increasingly challenged with finding methods that work for individual students while managing the class as a group. Technology can help teachers provide individualized learning plans through scaffolding and student-paced instruction. With appropriate use of technology, students are met where they are on the learning curve so that no student is left behind.
Teamwork is Necessary
Collaboration is a skill that is required in almost every walk of life. Working with a team can stimulate creativity by encouraging students to present a variety of ideas to each other. Technology can be a powerful problem solving tool for team activities. Collaborative efforts assist students in building meaningful relationships with their peers while creatively learning to solve problems within the classroom.
Fun is Remembered
Students typically retain information better when they enjoyed the process of learning that is associated with the information. When teachers allow an element of fun into the classroom, students engage more fully with the lesson at hand. Playing games helps students to associate a positive emotion with the material they are learning while playing thus stimulating the desire to continue experiencing the positive emotion through learning. Technology is one tool that can be used to bring educational games into the curriculum.
Students need diverse instruction, collaborative skills, and learning that is engaging and fun. Technology is an integral part of life, and therefore, vital in a successful classroom.